PIA Press ReleaseSunday, January 22, 2012

Mayor fortifies tree-cutting inspection,monitoring

by Aileen Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY, Jan. 22 (PIA) -- Mayor Mauricio Domogan last week beefed up inspection and monitoring of applications for tree-cutting in the city even if these only cover trees that pose imminent danger to life and property.

In Administrative Order No. 10, the mayor cited the need to strengthen the process by involving representatives from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“There is a need to strengthen by including the CENRO-DENR representative in the membership of the investigation and inspection team that will conduct investigations or inspections or request for emergency tree cutting permits that will be forwarded to the local chief executive for appropriate action,” the mayor said.

The mayor said that as the chief executive, he can only issue an emergency tree cutting permit on trees that pose danger to life and property. But he said they are receiving numerous requests for emergency permits that necessitate closer investigation by the city.

At present, the city’s procedure in tackling said applications involve only foresters from the CENRO and the city mayor’s office conducting the inspection and recommending whether or not the trees indeed pose danger and thus need to be cut.

He formed a multipartite and inspection team that will come out with a unified recommendation to the City Mayor on the appropriate actions to be undertaken on these requests.

The team will be headed by city environment and parks management officer-in-charge Cordelia Lacsamana with the following as members: Villamor Bacullo, Camilo Estepa, John Padua, all of the city government and Forester Rogelio Baus, Forest Rangers Assuncion Gacadan and Romeo Naperi of CENRO Pacdal. (PIA-CAR/ A Refuerzo-Baguio City PIO)